Flexible door assemblage

ABSTRACT

A multi-part flexible door assemblage for a building such as an aircraft hangar, which has an opening thereinto with a higher section and at least one lower adjacent section. The door consists of at least two flexible sheet-like portions, three in the case of an aircraft hangar, including a higher portion and at least one adjacent lower portion. Each sheet-like portion has a power driven roller secured at its lower or upper edge with means to rotate the roller to wrap or unwrap the respective sheet-like portion thereon to open or close the door. Vertical guides for the outer sides of the door portions extend along outer side frames of both the higher and lower sections. The building frame also includes an intermediate vertical frame connecting top horizontal frames of the higher and lower sections of the opening. Moveable guides are provided for the adjacent inner ends of the door portions and means are provided for guiding the moveable guides along the intermediate vertical frame extending between the tops of the higher and lower sections. The moveable guides extend below the intermediate frame and across the inner side of the lower section of the building opening when the door is closed and lie adjacent the intermediate vertical frame when the door is open.

United States Patent [191 Kuss [ FLEXIBLE DOOR ASSEMBLAGE [75] lnventor:Ralph L. Kuss, Findlay, Ohio 73 Assignee: R. L. Kuss&C0., 1n c.,Findlay,

Ohio

221 Filed: 1311.22, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 325,585

[52] US. Cl. 160/120 [51 Int. Cl E06b 9/08 [581 Field of Search 160/113,120, 243; 49/101,

Primary E.ruminer-Peter M. Caun Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Owen & Owen;Vincent L. Barker, Jr.

571 .1 ABSTRACT A multi-pa'rt flexible door assemblage for a buildingin] 3,814,164 June 4, 1974 such as an aircraft hangar, which has anopening thereinto with a higher section and at least one lower adjacentsection. The door consists of at least two flexible sheet-like portions,three in the case of an aircraft hangar, including a higher portion andat least one adjacent lower portion. Each sheet-like portion has a powerdriven roller secured at its lower or upper edge with means to rotatethe roller to wrap or unwrap the respective sheet-like portion thereonto open or close the door. Vertical guides for the outer sides of thedoor portions extend along outer side frames of both the higher andlower sections. The building frame also includes an intermediatevertical frame connecting top horizontal frames of the higher and lowersections of the opening. Moveable guides are provided for the adjacentinner ends of the door portions and means are provided for guiding themoveable guides along the intermediate vertical frame extending betweenthe tops of the higher and lower sections. The moveable guides extendbelow the intermediate frame and across the inner side of the lowersection of the building opening when the door is closed and lie adjacentthe intermediate vertical frame when the door is open. I

9 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures FLEXIBLE DOOR ASSEMBLAGE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to light weight and quicklyopenable doors for large buildings such as aircraft hangars. Folding oraccordion type doors have commonly been used in aircraft hangars foryears and it has been also suggested that flexible sheet materialhanging across the building opening could be rolled up, in a mannersimilar to a window shade, either by mounting the roller at 'the upperside of the opening and rolling the flexible material upon it or byattaching the roller to the lower end of the flexible material, rotatingthe roller, and winding up the material. The latter construction isparticularly advantageous for use in large installations where a longuninterrupted spanis needed and no intermediate bearing supports for theroller are necessary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART US. Pat. No. ,3,2ll,2l l discloses aflexible door of the latter type in which the motive power forraisingorlowering the door includes an electrically operated motor which, throughappropriate gears, applies torque to a roller connected to the lower endof the fabric and thus rotates the roller to wind the sheet materialupon itself. US. Pat. No. 3,398,779, discloses a flexible door in whichthe upper end of the sheet material is secured SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe instant invention provides a multipart flexible door assemblageenabling the utilization of several adjacent door portions to closesections of the opening into a building such as an aircraft hangar whichhave different heights, each portion of the door being separatelymounted and separately operated by its own, independent powered means.The arrangement enables an aircraft hangar opening to be higher in thecenter, thus to accommodate the fuselage and empennage of an airplaneand lower at the sides as is necessary only to accommodate the wings ofthe airplane. The side edges of the door portions are guided verticallyand vertically moveable guide means are provided at the junctions of thecenter or higher'section and the lower or side sections of the dooropening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a view in perspective, withparts broken away, of an airplane hangar having a higher center sec-'tion and two adjacent lower side sections thus to permit the entry andegress of an airplane and which is provided with a flexible doorassemblage according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view taken along the line2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation taken from the positionindicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view. taken along line 4-4of FIG. 3;

FIG. is a view similar to FIG. 4 but taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a still further enlarged fragmentary view in elevation takenfrom the position indicated-by the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

'FIG. 7 is afragmentary view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the door.open;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how a multi-part doorassemblage according to the invention may include a plurality ofmoveable. guide members, as explained below;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 and 7 but illustrating a secondembodiment of the mechanism for actuating a multi-part door assemblageaccording to the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a view on a small scale illustrating a different type ofbuilding having an opening with a higher section and only one lowersection. 3

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1 there is shown anairplane hangar generally indicated by reference number which has anaccess opening comprising a'center, higher section 21 and adjacent sidesections 22. The sections 21 and 22 are defined by outer vertical frames23 for the side sections 22, top frames 24 for the side sections 22, atop frame 25 for the, center section 21 and vertical intermediate frames26 which extend between inner ends of the top frame 24 and the outerends of the top frame 25 to define the upper portions of the side of thecenter section 21 of the hangar opening. A typical airplane is shown inbroken lines indicated by the reference number 27 and comprises afuselage 28, an empennage 29- and wings 30 which extending outwardlyfrom the fuselage 28 at a lower level.

A multi-part flexible doorassemblage according to the inventioncomprises a higher center portion 31 and adjacent lower side portions32. The lower edge of each of the door portions 31 and 32 is attached toa roller 33 or 34, as the case might be, and each of the rollers 33 and34 has a driving motor 35 which rotates the roller 33 or 34 through asuitable gear box 36. The motor 35 and the gear box 36 in each instanceare mounted to travel vertically with the respective one of the rollers33 and 34, as the roller is rotated, to wind up its door portions 31 or32 upon itself to open the door, or to unwind its respective doorportion 31 or 32 to close the opening into the hangar.

The motor 35 and gear box 36, in each instance, are Carried by a supportbacket 37 which also comprises journal 38 and a guide roller 39. As canbest be seen in FIG. 2, each of the side rollers 34 has a guide roller39 at its outer end and the center roller 33 has a guide roller 39 ateach of its ends. The guide rollers 39 for the outer ends of the siderollers 34 are engaged in vertical guide tracks 40 which extend upwardlyalong the outer vertical frames 23. t

The innerends of the side rollers 34 are journaled in brackets 41 (seealso FIGS. 3, 4 & 5) which are, in turn, welded or otherwise secured atthe lower ends of vertically moveable guides 42. Each of the guides 42comprises a channel 43 and opposed parallel angles 44. Each' of theguides 42 travels on a lower guide roller 45 that is mounted by a stubaxle 46 near the lower end of an I-beam 47 erected adjacent the sideframe 26 of the higher opening section 21. Each of the guides 42 has anupper guide roller 48 that is mounted upon a stub axle 49, the axle 49being welded or otherwise fixed in the guide 42. The guide roller 48 isengaged in a pair of opposed angles 50 welded or otherwise secured inone side of the I-beam 47 and extending upwardly along the frame 26 to alevel above the top frame 25 of the center section 21. v

When the respective one of the'motors 35 for the side rollers 34 isenergized and applies torque to its side roller 34, the roller 34 windsup its door portion 32.'The roller 34 is guided in its'upwardmovement'by its outboard guide roller 39 and by the vertically moveableguide 42 travelling along the I-beam 47 on the lower guide roller '45and the upper guide roller 48. i

A shield 51 is attached to the vertically moveable guide 42 and travelswith it in line with and overlapping the edge of the fixed structurall-beam 47. The shield 51 carries a flap 52 which wipes along the doorportion 32 as indicated in FIGS. 2 & and a similar flap 52a is mountedat the inner side of the vertical frame 23. The lower end of thevertically moveable guide 42 has a locating pin 53 which enters asuitably shaped recess 54 in the floor or ramp leading to the buildingor hangar so that when the side portion 32. of the door assemblage isclosed ie in the lowered position illustrated in FIG. 3, the engagementof the pin 53 and the recess 54 prevents gusts of wind from displacingthe door portion 32. i

The mechanisms and structures for the two side door positions 32 areidenticalbut reversed relative to each otherand the specific structuralmembers illustrated-in FIGSJ3, 4, & 5 at the right side of the centralsection 21 and the adjacent section 22 are duplicated at the left sideof the' higher section 21 and the left lower section 22, as viewed inFIGS. 1 and 2.

Both ends of the center roller 33, are guided forverti cal movementfrom'the closed position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 to a fully openposition shown in FIG. 7. Two motors with associated gear boxes 36 andsupport brackets 37 journal and drive the center roller 33 to wind upthe center "door portion 31. These two brackets 37 are guided forvertical movement by the engagement of their guide rollers 39 in angles55 (FIGS. 4 and 5) which extend along and are welded to one side of avertically moveable guide beam 56.

The upper end of the vertically moveable guide beam 56 is engaged withand guided by a lower guide roller 57 which is engaged'in angles 58extending along the guide beam 56 and journaled on the end of the stubaxle 46 opposite the lower guide roller 45 for the vertically moveableguide 42. An upper guide roller 59 is mounted by a stub axle 60 near theupper end of the vertically moveable guide beam 56 and is engaged inangles 61 that extend along the inner side of the I-beam- When the twomotors 35 for thecenter door roller 33 are energized to apply torque tothe roller-33 to wind up the door portion .31 thereon, their guiderollers 39 travel up the vertically moveable guide'beam 56 in the angles55 until they strike a stop block 62 (see also FIG. 6). secured to theflange of the vertically moveable guide beam 56 at a level just belowthe upper guide roller 59. The stop blocks 62 may be provided with pinsor anti-friction devices to bear against the rollers 39.

. After the roller 39 strikes the stop blocks 62, contin- I ued rotationof the center roller 33 applies vertical force through the guide roller39 to the stop block 62 and to the vertically moveable guide beam 56 sothat the guide beam 56 then travels upwardly on the guide roller 57 andalong the trackangles 61. As the center -structure.- If'desired,suitable micro switches (not shown) may be positioned at the stop 63 tocut power to the motors 35 when thecenter door portion'31 has reachedthis fully open position.

As in the case of the door side portion. 32, the vertically moveableguide beam 56 at each side of the cente'r door portion 31 carries ashield and a flap 65 .which travel vertically with the guide beam 56.The

lower end of the guide beam 56 has a locating pin 66 whichengages in arecess 67 whenthe door portion 31 is in a lower position as illustratedin FIGS. land 3.

In FIG. 7 the door is shown in open position with the vertical moveableguide 42 extending upwardly parallel and adjacent to the outer side ofthe main l-beam 47 and the vertically moveable guide beam 56 extendingalong and lying adjacent to the'innerside of the l-beam 47. In FIG. 7the lower side portion 32 of the door is shown as being fully wrappedupon its roller 34 withv its outer guide roller 39 at the upper end ofthe guide track 40. Similarly the center roller 33is shown at itsuppermost position with the center door position '31 wrapped almostentirely thereon and with its guide roller 39 at the upper, end of themoveable guide beam 56'in engagement with the stop block 62.

It will thus be seen that in a door assemblageaccording to theinvention, the higher door portion 31 and, in this embodiment, the twoside door portions 32 of lesser height fully close the opening in to thehangar 20 including both the higher opening section 21 and the loweropening sections 22. Conversely, when the door assemblage is in openposition, as illustrated in FIG. 7, by reason of the vertically moveableguide 42 and guide beam 56, all structural. elements whichextend acrossthe inner sides of the lower sections 22 of the opening of the buildingare lifted up into position adjacent the intermediate side frame member,i.e. the structural I- beam 47.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic illustration'showing how a door assemblageaccording to the invention may comprise a series of overlappingvertically moveable guides such as two sequentially moveable guides 68and 69, shown at the right side of FIG. 8-whichoverlap each other and afixed guide beam 70. Each of the vertically moveable guides 68 and 69 isguided by suitable guide rollers (not shown) and lifted by sequentialengagement as the particular door portion carried thereby israised'Similarly, as illustrated in the central portion of FIG.- v8, adoor assemblage according to the invention may comprise threesequentially moveable overlapping guides 71, 72 and 7.3 and a fixedguide beam 74. At the left side of .FIG. 8 there are shown fouridentical moveable guidemembers 75 arranged in overlapping relasize sothat building height, or the height of projection above the building,may be minimized. 1

FIG. 9 illustrates a modified form of door assemblag according to theinvention in which the door rollers are fixed in position at the uppersides of the opening sections and wind the flexible door portions uponthemselves in a fashion similar to window shade rollers. In theembodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 9, there are shown apart of a center door portion 77 and a lower side door portion 78. Thecenter door portion 77 is to be wrapped upon a center roller 79journaled in the building at the top of a center opening section definedby a top frame 80 and-an intermediate frame 81. The side door portion 78is raised and lowered by a side roller 82 journaled in the building atthe level of a top frame 83 for a side section 22 of the opening in thebuilding.

In accordance with the instant invention, the outer side of the lowerend of the door portion 78 is guided by a roller 84 running in a fixedvertical guide track 85. The inner lower end of the door portion 78 iscarried bya strut 86 welded or otherwise secured to the lower end of avertically moveable guide 87 which is guided by upper and lower guiderollers 88 and 89 comparable to the similar guide rollers illustrated inFIGS. l7 in- 'clusive.

The lower end of the center door portion 77 is guided by guide rollers90 running in a moveable guide beam 91 which, as in the earlierdescribed embodiment of the invention, is guided during its verticalmovement by a lower guide roller 92 and engaged in a vertically moveableguide beam 91 and upper guide roller 93 carried by the guide beam 91 andengaged in a structural beam 94. As in the earlier embodiment of theinvention. a stop block 95 is positioned in the guide beam 91 j and isengaged by the guide roller 90 to lift the guide beam 91 during theupper part of the movement of the center door portion 77 to lift theguide beam 91 a sufficient distance to raise it above the level of thetop of the frame 83 of the side section 22 of the door opening.

vice of this kind might be utilized for providing access to the doors ofa large size airplane to facilitate the entry and egress of thepassengers.

. ln the shed 96,'there must be provided sufficient elevation toaccommodate the high platform 98 but, be-

' cause the other side of the loading ramp is much lower,

it is not necessary that the shed 96 has an opening therein the fullextent of which is tall enough to accommodate the elevated platform 98.For this reason, the shed 96 has an opening comprising a higher sectiongenerally indicated by the reference number 100 and a'lower sectiongenerally indicated by the reference number 101.

In accordance with the instant invention, the opening comprising thehigher section 100 and lower section 101 may be closed by a doorassemblage, shown open in FlG. 10, and consisting of a higher doorportion having a roller I02 and a lower portion having a roller 103. Thearrangement of the mechanism for raising and lowering the door portionson their rollers 102 and 103 may be designed in accordance with eitherof the embodiments of the invention described above and the verticallymoveable guides (not shown) for the inner ends of the respective doorportions are positioned parallel and adjacent and intermediate frame 104connect- 1. A flexible door assemblage for a building, said buildinghaving structural members defining an opening thereinto to be closed bysaid door, said opening 7 having a higher, section and at least oneadjacent lower section, said structural members including outer sideframes-and top frames for said higher and lower sections and at leastone intermediate side frame for said higher section connecting said topframes, said door assemblage comprising,

l. a sheet-like portion for each of said opening sections, said doorportions being mounted to extend across the respective ones of said topframes and depending therefrom across the respective sections of theopening into said building when closed,

2. means including a power driven roller for raising and lowering eachof said door portions,

3. vertical guide tracks extending along said side frames,

4. guide means at the outer, lower ends of said door portions slidablyengaged in the adjacent ones of said guide tracks,

5. vertically moveable guides for the inner, lower ends of said doorportions, and,

. 6. means extending along said intermediate side frame for guiding allof said vertically moveable guides between lowered positions extendingbelow said intermediate side frame across the inner side of the lowersection of the opening into said building and an upper position lyingadjacent said intermediate side frame.

2. A door assemblage according to claim-l in which each of the powerdriven rollers is attached to the lower edge of its respective doorportion and rolls up with its door section. v

3. A door assemblage according to claim 2 in which each roller has anindividual motor for rotating the respective roller and the said motoris mounted to travel vertically with its associated roller.

4. A door assemblage according to claim 1 having a higher center portionand two lower portions, one at each side of said center portion and inwhich the center section of the building opening has two intermediateframes and there are two sets of vertically moveable guides.

5. A door assemblage according to claim 1 in which the power drivenrollers are mounted above the respective sections of the opening intothe building and the upper edges of the respective door portions areconnected to said rollers.

6. A flexible doorassemblage for an aircraft hangar, said hangar havingstructural members defining an opening thereinto to be closed bysaid-door, said opening having a higher center section and two adjacentlower side sections, said structural members including outer side framesfor said side sections, top. frames for said side sections and saidcenter section and intermediate frames at the sides of said centersection connecting said top frames to each other, said door assemblagecomprising, a

l. a center sheet-like portion and at least one side portion at eachside of said center portion, said door portions being secured at theirtops to the respective ones of said top frames and depending therefromacross the respective sections of the opening into said hangar,

2. means including a power driven roller for raising and lowering eachof said door portions 3. vertical guide tracks extending along said sideframes,

4. guide means at the outer lower ends of said side door portionsengaged in the adjacent ones of said guide tracks,

5. vertically moveable guides for the inner lower ends of said side doorportions,

6. vertically moveable guides for the lower ends of said center doorportion, and,

7. means extending along said intermediate side frames for guiding allofsaid vertically moveable guides between lowered positions extendingacross the inner sides of the side sections of the opening into saidhangar and an upper position lying adjacent said intermediate sideframes.

7. A door assemblage according to claim 6 in which each of the powerdriven rollers is attached to the lower edge of the respective doorportion and rolls up withits door section.

8. A door assemblage according to claim 6 in which each roller has anindividual motor for rotating the respective roller and the said motoris mounted to travel vertically with its associated roller.

9. A door assemblage according to claim 6 in which the power drivenrollers are mounted above the respecnected to said rollers.

v i =l

1. A flexible door assemblage for a building, said building having structural members defining an opening thereinto to be closed by said door, said opening having a higher section and at least one adjacent lower section, said structural members including outer side frames and top frames for said higher and lower sections and at least one intermediate side frame for said higher section connecting said top frames, said door assemblage comprising,
 1. a sheet-like portion for each of said opening sections, said door portions being mounted to extend across the respective ones of said top frames and depending therefrom across the respective sections of the opening into said building when closed,
 2. means including a power driven roller for raising and lowering each of said door portions,
 3. vertical guide tracks extending along said side frames,
 4. guide means at the outer, lower ends of said door portions slidably engaged in the adjacent ones of said guide tracks,
 5. vertically moveable guides for the inner, lower ends of said door portions, and,
 6. means extending along said intermediate side frame for guiding all of said vertically moveable guidEs between lowered positions extending below said intermediate side frame across the inner side of the lower section of the opening into said building and an upper position lying adjacent said intermediate side frame.
 2. means including a power driven roller for raising and lowering each of said door portions,
 2. A door assemblage according to claim 1 in which each of the power driven rollers is attached to the lower edge of its respective door portion and rolls up with its door section.
 2. means including a power driven roller for raising and lowering each of said door portions,
 3. A door assemblage according to claim 2 in which each roller has an individual motor for rotating the respective roller and the said motor is mounted to travel vertically with its associated roller.
 3. vertical guide tracks extending along said side frames,
 3. vertical guide tracks extending along said side frames,
 4. guide means at the outer, lower ends of said door portions slidably engaged in the adjacent ones of said guide tracks,
 4. A door assemblage according to claim 1 having a higher center portion and two lower portions, one at each side of said center portion and in which the center section of the building opening has two intermediate frames and there are two sets of vertically moveable guides.
 4. guide means at the outer lower ends of said side door portions engaged in the adjacent ones of said guide tracks,
 5. vertically moveable guides for the inner lower ends of said side door portions,
 5. A door assemblage according to claim 1 in which the power driven rollers are mounted above the respective sections of the opening into the building and the upper edges of the respective door portions are connected to said rollers.
 5. vertically moveable guides for the inner, lower ends of said door portions, and,
 6. means extending along said intermediate side frame for guiding all of said vertically moveable guidEs between lowered positions extending below said intermediate side frame across the inner side of the lower section of the opening into said building and an upper position lying adjacent said intermediate side frame.
 6. A flexible door assemblage for an aircraft hangar, said hangar having structural members defining an opening thereinto to be closed by said door, said opening having a higher center section and two adjacent lower side sections, said structural members including outer side frames for said side sections, top frames for said side sections and said center section and intermediate frames at the sides of said center section connecting said top frames to each other, said door assemblage comprising,
 6. vertically moveable guides for the lower ends of said center door portion, and,
 7. A door assemblage according to claim 6 in which each of the power driven rollers is attached to the lower edge of the respective door portion and rolls up with its door section.
 7. means extending along said intermediate side frames for guiding all of said vertically moveable guides between lowered positions extending across the inner sides of the side sections of the opening into said hangar and an upper position lying adjacent said intermediate side frames.
 8. A door assemblage according to claim 6 in which each roller has an individual motor for rotating the respective roller and the said motor is mounted to travel vertically with its associated roller.
 9. A door assemblage according to claim 6 in which the power driven rollers are mounted above the respective sections of the opening into the hangar and the upper edges of the respective door portions are connected to said rollers. 